SS James Longstreet

Last updated

SS James Longstreet on October 7, 1943.jpg
SS James Longstreet before her last and final voyage
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameJames Longstreet
Namesake James Longstreet
Operator International Freighting Corporation
BuilderTodd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation, Houston, Texas
Cost$1,833,400 [1]
Yard number18 [2]
Laid down24 August 1942 [3]
Launched31 October 1942 [4]
Out of serviceDamaged by grounding in 1943 and written off
Identification
Fate
  • Acquired by the Navy in 1944
  • Used as a target until 1970
  • Hulk sunk in 1996
General characteristics
Class and type
Tonnage7,000 tons deadweight
Length
  • 441 feet 6 inches (135 m) oa
  • 416 feet (127 m) pp
  • 427 feet (130 m) lwl
Beam57 feet (17 m)
Draft27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Propulsion
Speed11.5 knots (21.3  km/h; 13.2  mph)
Capacity
  • 562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain)
  • 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement
Armament

SS James Longstreet (Hull Number 112) was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. Named after the Confederate general James Longstreet, she entered service in 1942, but was wrecked in a storm on 26 October 1943 and was subsequently used as a target hulk by the United States Navy.

Contents

Construction history

Named after Confederate general James Longstreet [6] and built at a cost of $1,833,400 USD, James Longstreet was launched in October 1942, in Houston, Texas, [7] by the Houston Shipbuilding Corp. [8]

Wartime history

James Longstreet was operated by the International Freighting Corporation. After loading cargo James Longstreet sailed independently on 27 November 1942 (from Houston, Texas via New Orleans, Yucatán Straits, Panama [9] ) to Australia, India, and Ceylon. [10] Her crew learned in Panama on 10 December 1942 that the ship would not be in a convoy and would be making the 11000 mile trek alone to Fremantle, routing 1000 miles off the standard shipping lanes. [9] She returned through the Panama Canal on 14 May 1943. She joined convoy ZG 31 arriving at Guantánamo on 18 May, and leaving the following day with convoy GK 734 to reach Key West on 22 May. After loading a general cargo, she joined convoy HX 245 leaving New York City on 23 June 1943 to reach Liverpool on 7 July. She returned in ballast with convoy ONS 14 leaving Liverpool on 26 July 1943 to reach Halifax, Nova Scotia on 9 August, where she transferred to convoy XB 68 reaching the Cape Cod Canal on 11 August. After loading a general cargo including some explosives, she joined convoy BX 72 leaving Boston on 5 September 1943 to reach Halifax on 7 September, where she joined convoy HX 256 reaching Liverpool on 21 September. She joined convoy WP 405 at Milford Haven on 23 September 1943 to reach Portsmouth on 25 September, where she offloaded her cargo. The return voyage in ballast left Portsmouth on 7 October 1943 with convoy PW 411 reaching Milford Haven on 9 October. She then joined convoy ON 206 leaving Liverpool on 11 October 1943. [11] Before reaching port, she collided with the British ship West Point, [12] on 26 October [13] and ran aground in a gale off of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. She was refloated on 23 November, and towed to New York City where she was declared a total loss. [8]

Target history

Instead of being scrapped, she was acquired by the US Navy in June 1944 and, after having her machinery removed, [12] she was used as a target ship for early air to surface guided missiles, including the Pelican [14] and ASM-N-2 Bat bombs. These tests were conducted off New York by planes flying from Floyd Bennett Field. A November 1944 gale broke James Longstreet loose from her mooring location. She was discovered drifting on 4 December 1944, and was towed to Naval Station Norfolk on 8 December. After being temporarily moored near Wolf Trap Light she resumed work as a bombing target in Pamlico Sound; [15] but the sound was too shallow, and she once ran aground under tow to and from the target areas.

James Longstreet was then assigned as a target for Project Dove, where Polaroid Corporation was developing a heat-seeking bomb for the United States Navy. Earlier testing had been done using targets on Monomoy Island Gunnery Range south of Cape Cod, but the Navy wanted the system tested on a target more similar to the ships it was intended to hit. James Longstreet was towed from Chesapeake Bay on 26 February 1945, and reached Boston on 5 March. After being outfitted for her new role, [16] she was scuttled on New Found Shoal [12] in Cape Cod Bay [7] at 09:46 25 April 1945 with most of the hull above water [16] as a target for missiles with the Polaroid guidance system, before then being used for live ammunition target practice by Naval jets from nearby South Weymouth Naval Air Station and the Air Force from nearby Otis Air Force Base until 1970. [12] She was then left derelict, becoming one of the most-photographed objects in the Bay, [6] until April 1996, when waves submerged her in deeper water during a snowstorm. [12]

The remains of James Longstreet, also referred to as "the target ship", lie approximately 3.5 nautical miles (4.0 mi; 6.5 km) off Eastham, Massachusetts in 20 to 25 feet (6.1 to 7.6 m) of water. [7] The site is off limits to divers due to unexploded ordnance, but the remains of the ship can be observed above the water during extreme low tides. [6]

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Hunt</i> (DD-194) Clemson-class destroyer

USS Hunt (DD-194) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy following World War I. She also served in the United States Coast Guard, as USCGD Hunt (CG-18). She was later transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Broadway (H90).

USS <i>Bancroft</i> (DD-256) Clemson-class destroyer

The second USS Bancroft (DD-256) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy, which briefly served in 1919. Placed in reserve, the ship lay idle before being reactivated for World War II. She was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1940, where she served as HMCS St. Francis (I93) in the Battle of the Atlantic escorting convoys. The ship was declared surplus in April 1945, sold for scrap and sank on the way to the breakers after a collision in July.

USS <i>Wilkes</i> (DD-441) Gleaves-class destroyer

USS Wilkes (DD-441) was a Gleaves-class destroyer commissioned in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1946. After spending several decades in the reserve fleet, the destroyer was scrapped in 1972.

HMS <i>Gentian</i> (K90) Flower-class corvette

HMS Gentian was a Royal Navy Flower-class corvette that served in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II.

Belgian Airman was a 6,959-ton cargo ship which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow in 1941 for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was launched as Empire Ballantyne and transferred to the Belgian Government in 1942. She was sunk by a German U-boat on 14 April 1945.

HMS <i>Badsworth</i> Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Badsworth(pennant number L03) was an escort destroyer of the Type II Hunt class. The Royal Navy ordered Badsworth's construction three months after the outbreak of the Second World War. Cammell Laird laid down her keel at their Birkenhead yard on 15 May 1940, as Admiralty Job No. J3260. After a successful Warship Week national savings campaign in March 1942, Badsworth was adopted by the civil community of Batley, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The ship was named after a fox-hunt in Yorkshire.

Empire Cloud was a 5,969 GRT cargo ship which was built in 1940 by William Pickersgill & Sons Ltd, Sunderland for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She was torpedoed on her maiden voyage, but repaired and returned to service. In 1942, she was torpedoed and sank whilst under tow to port.

Philips Wouwerman was a 7,091 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1942 as Empire Courage by Barclay, Curle & Co Ltd, Glasgow, United Kingdom. She was built for the Ministry of War Transport. in 1943, she was transferred to the Dutch Government and renamed Philips Wouwerman. In 1947, she was sold into merchant service and renamed Ceram. A further sale in 1953 saw her renamed Amsteltoren and then Amstelbrug. In 1959, she was sold to Greece and renamed Armathia. A further sale in 1965 saw her renamed Calliman. She served until scrapped in 1968.

Empire Curzon was a 7,067 GRT cargo that was built in 1943 by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). She had a short career, running aground in September 1944 and then being laid up before being sold for scrap in December 1945.

MV Empire Day was a 7,241 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1941 as a CAM ship by William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland, Co Durham, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1943, she was converted to a standard cargo ship. She served until August 1944 when she was torpedoed and sunk by U-198.

Empire Dorado was a 5,595 GRT design 1019 cargo ship that was built in 1920 as Tolosa by Atlantic Corporation, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), passing to the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) in 1937. She was sold to the United Kingdom in 1940, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Dorado. She served until November 1941, when she was in collision with another ship. Although taken in tow, she subsequently sank.

Belgian Sailor was a 7,028 GRT cargo ship that was built in 1941 as Empire Drayton by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, Wallsend, Northumberland, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). In 1942, she was transferred to the Belgian Government and renamed Belgian Sailor. She was sold into merchant service in 1946 and renamed Capitaine Biebuyck. In 1957, she was sold to Yugoslavia and renamed Kastav. A further sale in 1965 to Hong Kong saw her renamed Ivory Tellus, she served until 1970 when she was scrapped.

Norlom was a 6,326 GRT Design 1105 cargo ship that was built in 1919 as Editor by Skinner & Eddy Corporation, Seattle, Washington, United States for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), which became the United States Maritime Commission (USMC) in 1937. In 1941, she was transferred to the British Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Dunlin. She was transferred to Norway in 1942 and renamed Norlom. She served until 2 December 1943 when she was bombed and sunk at Bari, Italy.

Talthybius was a 10,224 GRT Cargo liner that was built in 1911 by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom for a British shipping line. She was sunk at Singapore in an air raid in 1942. Salvaged by the Japanese, she was renamed Taruyasu Maru, serving with the Imperial Japanese Navy until 1945 when she either struck a mine off Sado Island and sank or was sunk in an attack by aircraft of Task Force 38. She was salvaged by the British, passed to the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) and renamed Empire Evenlode. She served until 1949, when she was scrapped.

MV <i>Empire Faith</i> World War II merchant ship of the United Kingdom

Empire Faith was a 7,061 GRT CAM ship that was built in 1941 by Barclay Curle & Co, Glasgow, Renfrewshire, United Kingdom for the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT). Converted to a cargo ship in 1943, she was sold to a British company in 1946 and renamed Jessmore. In 1958, she was sold to a Panamanian company and renamed Antiope. A further sale in 1964 saw her renamed Global Venture. She served until 1971, when she was scrapped.

SS Norse Lady was a cargo ship built by Wood, Skinner and Company of Newcastle upon Tyne to the United Kingdom's standard First World War "War C" design. She traded from 1920 until 1958, in which time she had six successive owners and four different names. In 1958 she ran aground in eastern Indonesia, was captured and beached by rebels, and then set on fire by a naval bombardment. She remained a wreck until 1966, when she was scrapped in Taiwan.

SS <i>Oropesa</i> (1919) British ocean liner sunk during World War II

SS Oropesa was a British steam turbine ocean liner of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company (PSNC). She was built on Merseyside in 1920 and operated between Liverpool and South America. In 1941 the German submarine U-96 sank her in the Western Approaches, killing 106 people aboard.

SS Nailsea Meadow was a UK cargo steamship. She was launched in 1936 in Sunderland, England, and sunk by a U-boat in the Indian Ocean in 1943.

SS Llanashe was a UK cargo steamship. She was launched in 1936 in Sunderland, England, and sunk by a U-boat in the Indian Ocean in February 1943.

SS Testbank was a British cargo steamship that was built in England in 1937 and sunk with heavy loss of life in the air raid on Bari in December 1943. She was the first of two Bank Line cargo ships to be called Testbank. The second was a motor ship that was built in 1961, sold and renamed in 1978, and scrapped in 1987.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Beyle, p.11
  2. ↑ Beyle, p.12
  3. ↑ Beyle, p.16
  4. ↑ Beyle, p.1
  5. ↑ Beyle, p.15
  6. 1 2 3 "5 things to know about rusted target ship in Cape Cod Bay". Cape Cod Times . Hyannis, MA. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 Barbo 2008, p.90
  8. 1 2 "James Longstreet". Boston, MA: Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  9. 1 2 Zielinski, Leon (1942–1943) [1942]. "Navy Armed Guard Cox's log - 1942-1943". Personal Handwritten Log by Navy Gun Crew Member. On board the SS James Longstreet.
  10. ↑ Beyle, p.17
  11. ↑ "Arnold Hague Convoy Database". Convoy Web. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Liberty Ship The James Longstreet". Gainesville, GA: The Longstreet Society. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  13. ↑ "Violent Storm Off U.S. Coast". The Times. No. 49688. London. 28 October 1943. col D, p. 3.
  14. ↑ Friedman 1982, p.202.
  15. ↑ Beyle, p.20
  16. 1 2 Beyle, p.21

Bibliography

  • Barbo, Theresa M. (2008). Cape Cod Bay: A History of Salt & Sea. Stroud, Gloucesterchire: The History Press. ISBN   978-1-5962-9502-5.
  • Beyle, Noel W. (1992). The Target Ship in Cape Cod Bay. Orleans, Massachusetts: The First Encounter Press. ISBN   0-912609-15-X.
  • Friedman, Norman (1982). U.S. Naval Weapons: every gun, missile, mine, and torpedo used by the U.S. Navy from 1883 to the present day. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-0-87021-735-7.

41°49′53.27″N70°02′39.28″W / 41.8314639°N 70.0442444°W / 41.8314639; -70.0442444

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.